First published 2010
Paul Greenberg combines his expertise as both an award-winning writer and experienced fisherman to examine four species that anchor modern seafood consumption: salmon, sea bass, cod, and tuna. His investigation takes him across the globe, from Norwegian industrial facilities using genetic modification techniques borrowed from livestock breeding to produce massive salmon harvests, to remote Alaskan waterways where Yupik Eskimos operate the world's sole Fair Trade certified fishing operation. Greenberg traces how contaminants like PCBs and mercury infiltrate our seafood supply, documents the global expansion of Mediterranean sea bass farming, conducts taste comparisons between wild and farmed cod varieties, and ventures into dangerous South Pacific waters seeking substitutes for threatened bluefin tuna populations. He demonstrates that fish represent our final connection to truly wild food sources, though this status faces mounting pressure. Through detailed analysis of the complex systems delivering seafood to consumers, Greenberg presents strategies for ocean restoration and advocates for making sustainable, healthy fish the standard rather than a rare exception.
Genres: science, environment, non-fiction, technology, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: Alaska, Norway, South Pacific
Period: 21st-century
284 pages · Hardcover · The Penguin Press